Lying From You
by ms-cherryred
Summary: Sequel to meremortal2k3's Can't Stop This Thing We Started. Helena's double life puts a strain on her relationhip. Femslash. Don't like, don't read.
1. Double Booked

**_Hello. I know most of you don't know me. However, I'm not new to the Birds of Prey fandom. This is my first try at a femslash story. I guess I should issue all the standard "Don't like, don't read", and "I don't own the characters" disclaimers here._**

**_I'd also like to point out that this is a sequel to another writer's story, "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" by meremortal2k3. I spoke with her and she was rather positive and really wanted to see what I'd come up with. I even sent her this first chapter to see what she thought. I guess due to technical errors or something I never got a response. I took that as a bad omen for a while, but I decided that I should just post it. So, here it is..._**

**_The title is the title of a Linkin Park song. It seems fitting for some reason._**

* * *

**Chapter One: Double Booked**

Sunlight poured through the windows as Helena Kyle woke. She'd had a busy night. She'd managed to stop a mugging, a jewelry store hit, and a kidnapping. As she finally got out of bed, she looked in the mirror at her bruises and cuts. The bruises were gone, and most of the cuts were healed. The rest could be covered up by makeup and clothing. She smiled at her reflection.

"Damn I'm good," she remarked and went to take a shower.

An hour later, she was stepping into the Clocktower. Barbara Gordon was at the kitchen table reading a book.

"Hello Helena." she spoke without looking up from her book. "Did you get enough rest last night?" She looked up and saw that Helena didn't look nearly as bruised as she had the previous night. The redhead smiled. Alfred came to the table with a tray of food and set it in front of an empty chair.

"Good morning, Miss Helena. Would you like something to eat?" He glanced at her. "I take it from the grin on your face that you would. Enjoy."

"You know," Helena started. "I really like this place better than I did before. It feels more like a living space now. Better for Dinah." She sat down at the place Alfred had made for her and proceeded to eat. She looked around to where the Delphi had been; there was now a living room in that space. They had completely changed the layout and made access to the Delphi a bit more secure. They had both decided that since Harley Quinn most likely still had the schematics of the clocktower somewhere, that a revamp was necessary.

"I really think you should just move--," Barbara began. _Wrong move, Gordon. Time to go. Definitely time to go._

"Stop right there," Helena interrupted. The redhead held her hands up in retreat as she wheeled herself to the elevator. They'd had the conversation about Helena moving into the Clocktower before, and it hadn't gone well. "Dinah should be down soon," she told Helena just before the elevator door closed. Helena had offered to drive Dinah to school that morning, since Barbara had a teachers' meeting that was considerably earlier than regular school hours. "Is Dinah ready for school yet? I'm being generous by taking the time to drive her. She must think I'm also being generous with my patience. I have a life, too, ya know!" She was speaking to Alfred, but spoke loud enough for Dinah to hear her. Helena made no mention of why she was really being so impatient.

Gabby. She wanted to see her before classes began, and it wasn't helping that they hadn't seen much of each other in the past few weeks. It had been five months and Helena had yet to tell anyone about their relationship, and it didn't help that she lived a double life. The gourmet baking lie wasn't really helping matters; it really was the worst cover story ever, yet Barbara continued to stick with it. Although, Helena had decided to at least learn how to bake a few things in order to keep up the gourmet baking front and Dinah had managed to survive eating Helena's most recent batch of cupcakes.

"Alright, I'm coming," Dinah called out as she hurried down the hall and out of her room. She took a look at the breakfast that Alfred had prepared, and sighed. "Sorry Alfred. You know how much I hate to see food go to waste, but Barbara would kill me if I was late for school." She and Helena left the tower and made their way to Helena's car.

"You know, Hel, with all the money that you're entitled to, you could at least fix this car if you're not gonna get a new one." Helena shot her a look. "Or, I could just be happy that we're spending this time together. Can I at least turn on the radio?"

"Sure, ki-- I mean, Dinah."

When they arrived, there was no sign of Gabby. Helena just drove off; classes were going to begin in a few minutes anyway. She sighed as she drove off.

Gabby stood at the window, books in hand. She smiled as she saw Helena talking to Dinah, and upon looking at the time, let out a low groan. "I really hate Fridays, and I really hate chemistry," she mumbled as she made her way to class. The classroom was nearly empty when she arrived to take hedr seat, and filled quickly. Dinah entered and took her normal seat next to Matt. The three exchanged glances as the teacher entered the room and began the lesson.

"So, who can tell me the difference between alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes?"

Gabby sighed as she reminisced about a few minutes earlier. She had watched Helena walk back to the car, and she could tell that the image would replay in her head all day, along with other memories of the beautiful older woman. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Helena!" Reese smiled as he finally caught up to her. "Do you have to walk so fast? Oh well, I should thank you. Catching up to you is a very good workout." 

"Hey Reese," Helena smiled at her friend. "Sorry, I'm kinda in a hurry. I told Dinah I'd pick her up from school." She paused, listening.

"What? Is something up?" he realized that she was listening to her comm set.

"No. Dinah just needs to learn to go offline when making out with her boyfriend. Heavy breathing, other odd sounds—and then they wonder why _I_ go offline all the time."

Reese laughed. "So, how are you?" he finally asked. She saw him rather often, but since their break-up they hadn't really talked beyond friendly banter and crime-related intel. "I'm good. Great actually."

"Hey, how about I go with you to pick Dinah up from school. I know you probably drove, but it'll be nice to walk and talk to you for a while. What do you say?"

"I say... Alright. And, it'll give you a chance to tell me all about this new gang we're investigating."

Jesse grinned. "Yeah, it will."

They made their way through the city to New Gotham High and stood at the school gates talking for a few minutes. Reese needed her help to bust the new gang. "There's word that they're gonna hit Club Echo tonight. And we're gonna need to go undercover to get these guys. If I go with another cop, we'll definitely stick out. If I go with you, well... you'll stick out, but in a way that won't get me killed."

They shared a laugh. Helena noticed that she was hearing absolutely nothing from Dinah's comm. She grinned.

"So, how 'bout it? You down for Club Echo tonight?" Reese asked.

"Of course," came the reply.

"Alright then. I'll see you tonight." Helena watched as Reese walked away and smiled as she sensed someone come behind her. She recognized the scent and turned around. "Gabby."

The younger woman smiled.

She quickly scanned the area to see if anyone was watching, and captured the younger woman's lips with her own. "Let me guess, you've been sent as the distraction while Dinah makes herself look presentable."

Gabby nodded. "So, gorgeous, are we still on for tonight?" she asked Helena. _Damn_, Helena thought. _I forgot about my plans with Gabby!_

"Actually, Gabby.. I'm really sorry, but Barbara kinda ruined a batch of muffin tops and she won't make another one unless I'm there to help make sure it comes out right. They have to be rush mailed tomorrow morning. I'll make it up to you, okay?"

Gabby gave a small grin. "Okay." Helena could see Dinah in the distance, adjusting her comm set. As Dinah got closer, Gabby said goodbye and walked away. Helena grinned mischievously at Dinah. "I wonder if Barbara heard?"

"If Barbara heard what? What is it? Did something happen?" Barbara inquired over the comms.

"No, nothing." Helena watched as a blush crept up Dinah's cheeks. "We're on our way home, and then I'm off to work so I can finish my shift. I have to meet Reese at Club Echo tonight. We're gonna catch us some criminals."

"And it gives you an excuse to party on the job," Dinah remarked. "No fair. Why don't I get to go?"

"Because, you're a minor, and, although you have a fake ID, you're only supposed to use it if Huntress really needs backup. However, tonight, she has Reese."

"Well, I'd be going out with Helena, and that's not much of a party anyway, so I'll sit this one out and help monitor them from the Delphi"

"Hey! What's so bad about hanging out with me?"

"You cramp my style. I mean, at least Gabby helps me out when I want and need help. You just scare off anyone that even glances at me. If I can handle criminals, I can handle a few guys that wanna push their luck."

"Well, it's a habit. You're my sister, of course I'm gonna be protective."

Dinah smiled. "You're such a softie!" Helena slightly grimaced. "Hey, don't tell anyone that, okay?"

A few hours later, Helena was dressed in her hottest, yet most comfortable club gear. She and Reese met up a few blocks away from Echo and made their way in.

"Oracle, do you copy?" Helena asked, ensuring that she still had contact with the Clocktower.

"I've got you loud and clear Huntress. Does Reese have his comm?"

"Yeah, I got it O," Jesse responded.

"Good. I've got remote surveillance on the perimeter and the interior of the club. You look sharp, detective," Barbara noted.

"Thanks."

"What about me?" Helena asked, feigning offense.

"Oh, please, Huntress. You already know you look good."

"That is true," Helena replied. "See anything yet?"

"Not yet. Blend in, have a drink, dance. I'll give you guys a heads up when something happens."

"You heard the woman. Now be a gentleman and ask me to dance," Helena ordered. Reese smirked and held out his hand to her. "Would you like to dance, miss?"

"Of course I would." Helena took his hand and the two made their way to a prime spot on the dance floor. They could see almost everything in the bar, but could still blend in.

Two hours later, Reese was getting Helena a drink. She took a sip and smiled.

"No alcohol. So I guess this really is a case and not just an excuse to get me drunk enough so I can have my way with you," Helena remarked, a grin creeping across her face. The two had found a nice spot to sit in and stayed for a while. Oracle hadn't seen any suspicious activity, so they had decided to sit down for a while.

"I'm in a dancin' mood. Let's get back on the floor." Helena got to her feet, took Reese's hand and led him to the dance floor. The song crossfaded to a slow song, and Jesse pulled her closer.

Being so close to Helena was beginning to take its toll on Reese. It was taking all he had to concentrate on the mission. Her scent was intoxicating, and feeling her warmth—she just felt so good. Before he could stop himself, he pressed his lips to hers in a tentative kiss. When she didn't pull away or show signs that she objected, he deepened the kiss.

Dinah made a mental note of the kiss to use as ammunition in case Helena ever decided to tell Barbara about what she heard earlier in the day.

"Hey, Gabs, wait up!" Gina was a bit flustered as caught up to Gabby inside Club Echo. She'd had to charm the bouncer into letting her in. She wondered why Gabby hadn't had that problem, but shrugged it off. Gabby was a bit more mature and it probably showed was all. She took a step in front of Gabby and took a look at her. There was something wrong. Gabby seemed slightly confused.

"Maybe someone had one sip too many," Gina commented. When Gabby still didn't speak, Gina took her hand. "Gabby? Are you alright? Let's go sit down." The two made their way to a couch in the lounge area and sat down. "Okay, how many fingers do you see?" Gina asked, holding two fingers in front of the curly blonde's face.

Gabby's mind was reeling. She just saw Helena, kissing her ex boyfriend. She considered confronting them, but an argument would draw Helena to the question of how she and Gina got in, which would be bad, considering that Helena's ex was also a policeman.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw two fingers in front her face. "Two," she told Gina and laughed.

"You were really scaring me." She tucked locks of blonde hair behind Gabby's ear and brushed her thumb across her cheek. "Are you okay?" Gabby leaned into her ex girlfriend's touch. She smiled and pulled the long haired brunette closer, and leaned in for a kiss. Soon, the kisses were more intense.

Reese and Helena continued to dance in silence. It was just part of the cover, Reese tried to convince himself. Helena had decided that as well. She wanted to know why there was awkward silence all of a sudden. Why could neither of them come up with something witty to say?

"Huntress, Reese. They're outside the back exit. Find a way outta there and get them before they get into the building. Do not blow your cover. There may be a few of them inside as well. Take out the ones outside, and then the rest will come looking. There's three of them, all armed."

Reese took Helena's hand and led her out of the club. As they headed to the back exit, Helena thought she spotted a familiar face. As she got closer, she recognized the blonde curls, now underneath a woman with long brown hair. _No, it's not her. Mind on the mission, Huntress_, she told herself, until she got close enough to smell her. It was her, kissing someone else. Someone else was touching her. Helena's eyes suddenly changed; they were now cat-like. Anger was building up. As she followed Reese out, she calmed herself down. She knew she needed focus if this bust was going to go as planned.

_There had better be someone there I can hit, though,_ Huntress thought as she and Reese sauntered out of the back exit of the club. They continued their cover. Reese was soon into his "intoxicated" act, all over Helena.

Helena smiled and played her part. "Right here?"

And, surely as planned, the thugs promptly saw an opportunity for a quick mugging and came out. "Sorry to ruin such a tender moment, but, you two just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Give us everything you got." Reese straightened up, turned around calmly, took a step toward them, stone-faced.

"I don't think so."

One of the others quickly grabbed Helena and held his gun to her head. "What you think now?"

Reese turned his attention to the man holding Helena. "I think you shouldn't have done that. You're lucky if you survive."

"Really, what you gonna do to him?" the leader asked, with a chuckle. Reese grinned. "Me? Absolutely nothing." Helena managed to get from the thug's grip and she'd grabbed his gun as he realized he wasn't holding her anymore. She rolled her eyes. "I hate guns."

She ducked as the man tried to punch her. No matter how he tried, he couldn't land a decent punch on her. Finally, she delivered a roundhouse kick that connected with his head, knocking him to the ground. She narrowly dodged a bullet and pounced on the man who'd shot at her, knocking his gun out his hand and kicking it far out of reach. She'd gotten a good grip on him and swung him into a nearby wall.

"Okay, I see two coming your way from inside the club. Get ready," Oracle instructed.

Helena scaled the building and stood on the roof as Reese found a shady spot to hide in. The two men came out and Huntress jumped down and as she landed, knocked their heads together, knocking the two unconscious. Reese handcuffed the only conscious one; the one he'd fought.

"Why do you get to have all the fun?" Reese asked as he called for backup. When he was done, she was no longer beside him. "After all this time, I'm still not used to it. Goodnight, Oracle, Huntress, Dinah."

"Goodnight, Detective." Reese smiled as he took off his communicator and stowed it safely in his pocket.


	2. Chapter Two

_**Hello again. It's been almost a month since I posted the first chapter. I was actually waiting to see if I'd get any reviews on the site. Even though I didn't I'm still going to post the rest of the story. The files on my hard drive keep saying "Publish us! Please!" **_

_**Thanks to meremortal2k3 and my most wonderful boyfriend for reading and giving feedback. I forgot to thank you two in the first chapter.  
**_

_**I don't own anything; if you don't like it don't read it, etc. **_

* * *

**Chapter Two **

Dinah smiled as she approached her best friend. "Hey D, how was the weekend? I hope you weren't studying too much. It's high school, it doesn't prepare us for anything we're actually gonna do, remember?" Gabby semi-teased her friend. "Although it's nice to have a super-brainy best friend."

"My weekend was okay. I was reading more about string..." Dinah trailed off because she was distracted by a patch of reddish skin peeking from under Gabby's collar. "Enough about my weekend, how was yours? I have a feeling that you have something to tell me."

"Nope, nothin' to tell."

"Come on Gabby. The highlight of my weekend was _string theory_."

"I see your point. What do you want to know?"

"When did you get that hickey, and from whom?"

"Whom? My, my. I see living with Ms. Gordon has its effects. Friday night, from Gina, and you are late for class. Today's Monday, your first class isn't on this floor."

"Gina?" Gabby nodded, and Dinah's eyes gleamed. "I'm so excited for you! I have to go to class, but I'll see you in Cal, okay?" Gabby chuckled as Dinah hurried off to class. She found a seat close to the front nearest the door, and prepared her notebook. Class began and Gabby took her notes, but found herself distracted. She was angry with Helena, and it was beginning to consume her; Dinah had reminded her. She wanted to confront her, tell her off, but decided against it. If Helena was going behind her back and sneaking around with the detective, so be it. Gabby could find someone who would treat her the way she deserved to be treated.

She remembered how Gina had been concerned, and how her touch had been gentle. Gina still had feelings for her, Gabby knew. She still had feelings for her, but once Helena admitted that she'd wanted something with Gabby, the thought of rekindling things with Gina had been pushed back. Until now, that is. "What ya thinkin' about?" The voice was close behind her. Gabby, startled from her thoughts, looked upward and backward and smiled at Gina. She looked around and noticed the other students piling out into the halls. She'd been so distracted that she hadn't realized that class was over.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. How are you? Sorry I didn't get a chance to hang out after Friday. My mom called and needed me to run some errands for her. I called on Saturday and Sunday, but I got no answer from your cell. You okay?"

"I'm fine. I was just thinking is all."

"Okay. Well, I won't push it, but I'm here. I'm also late for my next class, so I'll see you later?" Gina was hoping that her question would be fact.

"Of course," Gabby assured her. Gina smiled and hurried out. Gabby soon realized that she too was late for her next class and bolted out of the classroom.

Dinah smiled as they took their normal seats in their Calculus class. She scribbled a quick note and slipped it to Gabby. Gabby read it and put it away, a signal that she was not going to discuss kissing Gina with Dinah. There was too much going on for her to talk to Dinah about her feelings for Gina.

"Ah, Dinah. Care to join us and find the limit?" the teacher asked, tapping the blackboard.

* * *

Helena sighed as she wiped the bar counter. "Hey sexy thing," a particularly sleazy looking man started. "Gimme a gin and tonic." Helena quickly and expertly grabbed a glass and the ingredients, and prepared what the man had asked for. 

"That's four dollars, sir."

The man handed her a twenty dollar bill. "Keep the change." He winked at her and walked off with his drink.

Helena rolled her eyes. She was okay with this guy trying to attract her with his money instead of chat with her, but she knew he'd be back. She hated guys like him, but she was glad that she'd be getting the extra tips today.

She chanced a glance at the clock. It was too soon. Her shift was nowhere near over. Sometimes she hated having "dad issues", as she put it. She'd managed to empathize with him. Honestly, the man already had issues, so of course he went mental and left. Still, she wouldn't take his money. It was enough that she was letting Barbara take his money to fund operations at the Clocktower.

"Kyle!" Her boss, Leonard, was calling out to her. "Damn it, what did I do now?" she asked herself.

"Yeah, Leonard?"

"You got some visitors. They're in the back. Holly will take the rest of your shift."

"What? No. Whatever it is shouldn't take long."

Leonard took another look at Helena's visitors. "I doubt that," he replied. She rolled her eyes as she grabbed her few belongings. Who could be visiting her?

* * *

Gabby smiled. She and Dinah finally had an uninterrupted lunch together. It was something she was missing. She'd missed the quality time with her friend. 

"So, Di, where's Matt?"

"Oh, he had some meeting with his guidance counselor, which was convenient. I didn't have to break it to him that I didn't particularly wanna have lunch with him today. I wanted it to be just us. It's been so long since we've been able to have an entire lunch to ourselves. Plus, you have to spill--"

"Like I said, I'm not discussing it."

Dinah looked a bit hurt at her friend's statement, and didn't push the matter further. Gabby seemed so secretive lately, and it was starting to get to Dinah.

_Now I know how the other half lives, I guess, _Dinah though to herself. She sighed. She couldn't be too upset about what was happening. It's not like she was 100 percent honest with Gabby all the time.

As soon as the words slipped from her mouth, Gabby regretted her tone. She was angry with Helena, and was taking it out on the next best thing: her sister. There was an awkward silence between the two as Dinah took a bite of her sandwich.

* * *

Barbara wheeled around her empty classroom, picking up the pieces of paper and random trash that littered the floor. Occasionally she'd find a person's homework, something that was due ages ago but was never handed in. Today, however, was "note day". This note was apparently passed among at least three people, judging from the different handwritings on the paper. She began to read, but quickly tossed the note away, shuddering.

"Who's he lusting after now?" Dinah asked as she entered the room eating a candy bar. Barbara would pick up notes from the same area of the room every week, and he'd always comment on how hot or gorgeous or sexy some teacher was.

"Ms. Gordon. And you know you're not supposed to be eating outside the cafeteria."

"It's my free period and I decided to spend it helping you clean and all you-- wait, did you just say--" Dinah took a good look at Barbara's face and burst out laughing. "How bad is it?" she asked after she'd calmed down. When Barbara wouldn't talk, she quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching, and used her telekinesis to retrieve the note from the wastepaper basket. She scanned the note.

Dinah cringed as she dropped the paper back into the garbage. "Boys are gross."

A few minutes later, Helena stalked into the classroom, slumping into a desk as Dinah helped Barbara clean.

"Guess what?" Her smile was fake and she seemed annoyed.

"You broke a nail," Dinah offered up as she tossed out an empty soda bottle.

"Nope."

"You... I dunno, what?"

"I'm rich."

"We know," Dinah was clearly unimpressed with the statement.

"No, I don't mean "Daddy's" money. Turns out Cam Henderson was so sure we'd be together that he left me his entire estate and all his assets. Aren't I the luckiest girl in the world?" Her question was saturated with sarcasm. Henderson's obsession with her had manifested itself so deeply that it made her stomach churn. He'd returned to New Gotham for the high school reunion and killed anyone who hit on her.

"Wait, what?"

"Apparently he said that if he were to go missing for a certain length of time, then he should be assumed dead, and his will says that everything goes to me." Helena recounted how her shift had been cut and how some pompous lawyer and private investigator told her. They thought she may have coerced him and made him disappear in order to get his money.

Barbara hurried over to her laptop. She could access the Delphi and scan for the document and anything related to it. She found the will, and there was a beep indicating that there were more documents. She set the Delphi to monitor anything about Cam Henderson and his estate.

"I don't know, guys. It is a tempting offer, especially considering the week I had last week."

"Hel, you're an heiress. Why don't you stop being stubborn and take advantage of it?"

"I said I don't want anything to do with my father's money, and I meant it."

"Hel--" Barbara started.

"Please don't ask me the same question she just asked."

"I wasn't going to."

"Good. So, what's for dinner tonight?"

* * *

Gabby stretched out on the couch, constantly changing channels on the television, while Gina made popcorn in the kitchen. The two had been hanging out together often. When Dinah was unavailable or Helena canceled a date, Gina was free. It was easy to be around her. There was no pressure. They'd gotten past the awkward phase in their relationship and were now good friends. 

"So, what are we watching tonight?" Gina asked as she brought a large bowl of popcorn into the living room.

"You know, we should actually study sometime. It's actually beneficial," Gabby pointed out.

"It also leaves me with a headache. I can't wait for graduation."

"Well, to enjoy graduation, we have to graduate, and to graduate, we have to pass. To pass, we have--"

"To study. I know, I know. After this movie, okay?"

Gabby reluctantly agreed. She didn't want to study either, but she didn't want to risk getting too involved in the TV. She and Gina often wound up watching movies for hours and not studying at all and there were 3 tests coming up.

A few hours later, the two were in Gabby's room at her desk, quizzing each other. Gabby had a stack of study cards for different subjects; Gina had the idea to mix all the subjects together to make things more interesting. The two had split the cards so that each of them had an equal amount. Soon, they had gone through all the cards and had had enough studying. Gina called her mother and explained that it was getting late and asked if it would be okay for her to stay at Gabby's for the night. Her mother reluctantly agreed, noting that Gina and Gabby were spending quite a lot of time together.

"Goodnight, Mom. I love you too."

Gina smiled as she hung up the phone and headed to the door that lead to Gabby's lounge. She wished her parents were as cool as Gabby's. They trusted her enough that they let her keep the entire top floor of the house as her own apartment. They even installed a kitchen!

"Where are you going?" Gabby asked as she emerged from the bathroom, ready for bed.

"The couch."

"Why? The bed's big enough to accommodate both of us. Come on." Gabby pat a spot on the queen size bed. "Make yourself at home. You should be comfortable here." Gabby stifled a yawn.

"In that case, can I borrow some PJs?"

Gabby chuckled. "Sure. Top right drawer." Gina selected a pair and went off to change. Gabby began to drift in and out of sleep. She'd had a long day and now that she was in bed there was nothing keeping her awake.

As Gina emerged from the bathroom, she noticed that Gabby was fast asleep. "Goodnight," she whispered as she got in bed. As soon as she'd settled and found a comfortable spot, Gabby snuggled into her. _It must be a habit, _Gina thought as she put her arms around the blonde and curled up with her.

* * *

Helena smiled as she watched Dinah scare a robber. She'd stepped into his path just as he looked back to see if she was still behind him. 

"I gotta hand it to her, Oracle. She's good. And I mean, good. She's not just copying my style anymore, she's got her own. I like it." She smiled as the stolen cash floated up to her and she hurried to return it to the store the man had broken into. She stepped in carefully through the broken window and hurried to the rendezvous point she and Dinah had established.

"Huntress, Dinah. Come on in. I think that's it for the night." The two began their nightly race back to the Clocktower. Helena always won, although lately Dinah was giving her more of a challenge. Helena landed on the pavement in front of the building first, winning the race, but, Dinah didn't land at all.

"I can't believe that you never thought to just come through the balcony," Dinah said over the communicator.

Helena rolled her eyes and chuckled as she got on the elevator. She stepped off the elevator and told Barbara everything she saw and everything about the criminal she could remember, rushing through the debriefing. When it was done with, Helena excused herself and left, jumping rooftops. After a few more minutes, she stopped and stood at the edge of a particular rooftop, looking down into Gabby's bedroom. She'd taken to checking on Gabby every so often. She admitted to herself that it was a bit creepy, but it brought peace of mind to know that Gabby was safe.

Her heart was pounding as she realized that Gabby wasn't alone in bed. Her pupils narrowed to cat-like slits as she recognized the girl from Club Echo. Tears welled up in her eyes and threatened to fall, but Helena wouldn't allow for it and blinked them away as she ran home as quickly as she could.

**To be continued.**


	3. Chapter Three

_**Hello all. It's been a while since I've posted to this story. I've mostly been avoiding posting due to lack of reviews, but I've decided to get over it and continue. There's some coarse language later on. Let me know if you think it warrants a rating change.**_

_**Blah, blah... I own nothing. Don't like, don't read, etc.**_

**Chapter Three**

Eleven days had passed. There had been no phone calls, no running into each other anywhere. Not that that was very hard to manage. Gabby was in school and Helena was at work. They could only run into each other if Helena was near the school or if Dinah had Gabby over at the Clocktower, or if they were both at the Pink Rabbit Club on the same night.

Helena preferred it that way. She knew what she would say and she didn't want to hear herself say it. She was mad at Gabby, but she wouldn't forgive herself if she said something to hurt her. But how could Gabby betray her like that? Who was that girl anyway? Helena wiped down the bar and hurried out before anyone could ask her to cover their shift. She couldn't exactly say no to them considering she'd asked almost everyone to cover hers.

* * *

"Honestly, Gabs. I really think you're making the right choice." Dinah stopped at her locker to retrieve her belongings before going home. "I'm hanging out with Barbara today. If you call and I don't pick up, just leave a message and I'll call you back." She slammed her locker shut and slung her sweater over her shoulders as she spoke. Matt looked over at her on his way to the exit, and the glance they shared was a brief distraction. Gabby rolled her eyes.

"Later," Gabby said. She hurried off to catch Gina, who had just walked by. Dinah smiled as she watched them. Then, she hurried to the teachers' parking lot to meet Barbara. "Hey, can I drive?" she asked. Barbara looked over at her with a grin.

"Maybe next time." Dinah shrugged and sat in the passenger seat, immediately turning on the radio as they pulled out of the parking lot.

"Oh, I have got to show you guys my new costume. You're gonna love it! Well, I know Helena will. I'm not sure about you, Barbara." Dinah looked at the redhead with a slight frown. "It's a bit--"

"I saw it, and if it's what you choose to wear, then go ahead," Barbara told the young woman. She looked away from the road to see Dinah's expression. "What?"

"You just love to ruin surprises, don't you? For once, you couldn't just take a break from being the all-seeing, all-knowing Oracle?" Dinah was upset. Then, her cellphone rang; Gabby was calling.

"Hey, Gabs, what's goin' on?"

"Dinah, I don't think I can do this," Gabby blurted. "Something about this doesn't feel right."

"What happened to the girl I talked to earlier? You were so excited. You're probably just nervous. Think about it for a while. You know don't have to go if you decide you really don't want to. Call me later if you still feel uneasy, okay?" They ended their conversation.

Barbara looked over at her ward. "You know that means you can't go on sweeps tonight. You have to be home in case Gabby calls. Let's call Helena."

Dinah frowned; it was Helena's night off and she knew the consequences of pulling Helena away from whatever Friday night activity she had planned. "If she calls, just connect me over my comm and I'll talk to her while I'm out. Besides, I know Gabby well enough to know that she's not actually going to call."

Barbara hesitated before agreeing, but she knew Dinah was probably right. "Alright, but that means you have to stay on comms."

"As if I don't already. Do I look like Helena to you?"

"Of course you don't. You're not as good looking." Helena's voice rang through the communicator. "I was just about to ask you two what was taking so long."

"Oh, so you do know how to turn on your comms." Barbara said with a grin. Dinah chuckled.

Helena was in the Clocktower's garage as Barbara pulled the car in. When she got out the car, Dinah put her hand to Helena's forehead. "Are you sick? You get a night off and you risk coming here?"

"Nope, just got nothin' to do tonight. I officially have no life. At least we'll get sweeps done faster if we divide the city."

* * *

"Nice," Helena complimented Dinah's kick as the teen efficiently disarmed the man they'd been tracking. Dinah was tracking him on the ground, and Helena was tracking him via rooftops. Helena jumped down, holding the man down in case he regained consciousness. Dinah knelt down and reluctantly touched his hand, invading his mind to learn more about the crime he'd committed. They were on to something much bigger than burglary. There was a new crime ring, and they'd stumbled upon it. Dinah let go, the rush of images becoming too intense for her to take.

"You alright?" Helena held Dinah's arm, steadying her. "What did you see?"

"He doesn't have whatever it is he took from the safe at the pawn shop. He gave it to his boss, or one of his bosses. This goes a lot further than larceny."

"You sound like You-Know-Who when you say that," Helena pointed out.

Dinah rolled her eyes as she dusted herself off.

"By the way, nice ensemble you've got there. Not too crazy about the fishnets, but I like it."

"Your mother's was a lot like it," Barbara stated.

"I know," Dinah said as she gave Helena a small smile. Helena understood immediately. The costume was Dinah's way of connecting with the mother she never knew, just as running with criminals had connected Helena to Catwoman, whom she never knew.

"She'd be proud, and probably jealous considering that yours is way better than hers," Helena joked. Dinah smiled again as they both climbed the nearest building. Oracle called them in; there was no alert on the Delphi.

* * *

Gabby pulled the long haired brunette into the Pink Rabbit with her. "Gina, relax!" After the night two weeks ago, Gina had been avoiding clubs. At Club Echo she'd had too much to drink and got kicked out for nearly starting a fight.

Gabby headed straight for the bar. The bartender looked their way and smiled. "Hey Billy. Two, when you're ready."

Gina sharply pulled on her friend's arm. "Gabby! Are you trying to get a repeat performance?"

Gabby wrenched her arm from Gina's grip. "Just trust me, okay?" Billy handed her the drinks and Gabby handed one to her friend. Gina reluctantly sipped, and furrowed her brows at the taste. The drink tasted familiar, but it seemed to be missing something. "Virgin?"

"The drink? Yeah." Gabby smiled as Gina laughed. "I told you to trust me."

Gina smiled. "I'll be right back. Where's--" Gabby pointed in the direction of the bathroom, knowing where Gina was going. She leaned back against the bar, scouting a spot where her and Gina could dance. She didn't notice that Billy was behind her.

"She seems nice. Although not who you're usually here with," he remarked. "Then again, I haven't seen you in a few weeks..." Gabby turned to face him and rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'll back off. I brought you another round." He set two drinks down next to her and turned his attention to another customer. Gina returned from the bathroom and picked up a glass. She sipped. "These are surprisingly good."

"Billy's the best. You wanna dance?" Gabby extended her hand and the two walked to a spot on the dance floor.

* * *

Dinah settled herself on the couch with her History book. She'd really taken to studying after sweeps when she couldn't sleep since there was nothing to watch on TV. As she opened to her book mark, the book was snatched away from her. She looked up to face the offender.

"Get up," Helena said as she closed the book and set it down on the couch's armrest. "We're going out."

"What?" Dinah was incredulous. Helena rarely offered to take her out.

"I'm not gonna let you spend all your time studying. You'll turn into Barbara."

"Hel, why'd you give up your night off?" Dinah blurted out; she was concerned. Helena had been different for the past few weeks. Actually, she'd been different for months, but now the change was becoming negative.

"And let you have all the fun?" Helena smiled. Dinah returned the smile. Before Dinah could react, Helena snatched the book from her adopted sister's reach. "I'm not taking no for an answer. We haven't had a night as slow as this in what seems like forever. That warrants a celebration."

"Alright, I'll get changed." Dinah hurried to her room. Twenty minutes later, she was dressed. Helena smiled.

"You look good. Let's go break some hearts. Anyplace in particular you'd like to go? My treat."

"You're being.. nice. Are you sure you didn't bump your head or something?" Dinah asked with a smirk; Helena rolled her eyes. "I'm not sure where I'd like to go... Wait, have you heard of the Pink Rabbit?"

_Of all the places the kid could pick, _Helena thought. She mentally kicked herself for allowing Dinah to pick the venue.

"You sure you wanna go there?" Helena asked.

"I know it's not your style. I just want to check on Gabby. She's supposed to be there," Dinah said. "We'll be there for a half hour tops. Then we can go to Club Echo."

"Alright. It's not too far so we don't need the car. Let's keep the comms on in case Oracle needs us."

Helena smiled as she and Dinah ran across rooftops toward the Pink Rabbit Club. Very few people could keep up with Helena at full speed, but Dinah learned to endure and rarely broke a sweat anymore when running with her. "Okay Dinah, we've got three more rooftops." As they reached the edge of the rooftop they were on Helena jumped gracefully to the next and looked to her left. She looked to her right and still didn't see Dinah. Helena was near panicked. When did she lose Dinah? Did she fall? Was she injured?

"Don't panic. I'm ahead of you," she heard from her comms. She looked ahead and saw Dinah on the next rooftop, waving.

"What the--?" Helena hurried to the teen. Dinah laughed. "Please, don't ask right now. Let's just go do some innocent spying."

They jumped down and walked the remaining four blocks to the club and were immediately let in by the bouncer. "Do you know that bouncer, Hel?" Dinah asked.

"Let's find the bar," Helena dodged the question as she took Dinah's hand to ensure that she wouldn't lose sight of the teen. They sat in vacant barstools and waited for the bartender. "So, what's with the spying on Gabby?"

"I just want to check on her. There's something she's not telling me. I don't want to use my powers because that's a complete invasion of her privacy, but I'm worried about her."

"Well, do you have a clue of what's going on?" Helena asked. Billy walked over to them and Dinah looked around, not knowing where to look. Helena nodded, and Billy quickly handed her two identical drinks. She handed one to Dinah, who looked at it suspiciously. "Sex on the beach--virgin," Helena told her.

"How did you--?" Dinah asked. "You didn't even tell him.."

"Bartenders understand each other," Helena lied. Dinah took a sip and continued to scan the club for her friend. Helena saw Gabby first and wished she hadn't. _Who the hell is this girl? _Helena asked herself as she once again saw Gabby with the long haired brunette; the two were pressed against each other, moving with the music. Her head began to hurt, and she did her best to stop her eyes from morphing.

"Di, she's right over there," Helena tilted her head in Gabby's direction. "Or not. Those two are so close they might have fused into a whole new person," she said flatly. Dinah followed Helena's gaze.

"Whoa. I've never seen Gabby dance like that." _I have, _Helena thought. Dinah watched for a moment longer, then quickly looked away. She felt like she was encroaching upon a private moment and that it was time to leave. She breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, we can go if you want."

"Just let me finish my drink," Helena said. "Who is that she's with? Do you know? I'd hate to leave here while she's melting into a stranger."

"That's just Gina, her girlfriend." Upon hearing this, Helena involuntarily tightened her grip on the glass and slightly cracked it. She put the glass down on the bar and left a tip for Billy. "Alright, let's go." She hopped off the barstool, and took a last glance at Gabby. This time, however, Gabby was looking back. The gaze barely lasted a second before Helena made her way to the door.

"Hel, I'm on the rooftops already. Don't freak when you get outside," Dinah said over the communicator.

Helena smiled as her skin met the cool night air. "I did not freak," she said. "Do you wanna get the car?" she asked the teen. "Actually, do you want to drive tonight?"

"Yeah."

"I'll race you there, then. Just give me a second to recoup from my drink. You know what, you're gonna need a headstart anyway, so go ahead. I'm gonna walk the first few blocks." Her drink had been non-alcoholic as well, but she needed to keep her distance from Dinah while she wrapped her head around the fact that Gabby had a girlfriend.

"Helena." The short-haired brunette turned around, and was face to face with Gabby. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that Gabby? Please don't tell her I was spying on her!" Dinah said frantically over comms. Helena reached for her necklace and turned off her communicator microphone. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your date?"

"She's a friend," Gabby tried to explain.

Helena turned around to walk away. "_Sure _she is." She really wasn't in the mood to hear any excuse Gabby had to give.

"I shouldn't even be explaining myself to you!"

"I didn't ask you to," Helena said as she started walking.

"Fine. Walk away before we can talk about this," Gabby started to raise her voice. "Go 'bake' with the detective!"

Helena stopped and turned around. "What are you talking about? Are you drunk or something?" Helena asked.

"You lied and told me you had to help Ms. Gordon, but I saw you kissing him at Club Echo! I saw you, Helena!"

"You're one to talk," Helena shot back. "I saw you all over Gina at Echo, and now I see you practically _fucking_ her in there," she said, gesturing to the nightclub. "Don't get me started on those little sleepovers..." She was fighting to stay stone-faced. She really needed to leave. It was unbearable staying there.

"How do you know--?" Gabby was stunned as she realized how much Helena knew about Gina.

"Doesn't really matter." With that, Helena turned on her heels and hurried out of Gabby's sight. As she landed on the nearest building's roof, she came face to face with Dinah, who'd obviously heard the entire exchange.

_Shit, _Helena thought. "Dinah--"

"That's why the bouncer and bartender know you. You're the woman she's been telling me about," Dinah concluded. "Why her, Helena? She's my best friend. She's the one person that I had outside the life. You knew she liked you and took advantage--"

Helena immediately interrupted. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh really? You treat her like you treat all those guys you used to tell Barbara about."

"It's not the same at all!" Helena's eyes changed. Dinah noticed, but she was too angry to back off.

"You meet her at the Pink Rabbit, have a drink, take her to your place, screw her, and then send her home. Hmm, sounds the same. What's different?"

"I love her! That's what's different! Do you think it's easy for me? I hate having to hide, but every night that she's out of my sight I have nightmares of horrible things happening to her. I remember what happened to Wade and I don't want it to happen to Gabby!

Helena exhaled sharply as she wiped tears from her eyes before continuing.

"I didn't want it to come out this way. I was going to tell you tonight. That's one of the reasons I decided to take you out. I wanted you to know first, since she's your best friend, and then I was gonna tell Barbara. I didn't want to keep it from you two anymore."

"You could have told me sooner," Dinah said. "Now that I know that it's you, some things are in better perspective. I'll talk to Gabby."

"No. I think it's better this way," Helena said. "I'm tired of lying to her, Di. I want to tell her the truth, but I keep thinking about what happened to Wade, and I'm not sure If I should drag her into this." Helena was pacing from one end of the rooftop to the other.

"You can't let her keep thinking that you cheated on her," Dinah pointed out. "She deserves some sort of explanation."

"Like what? Barbara's stupid baking cover makes it very hard to come up with any plausible explanation. What am I gonna tell her about that night at Echo?"

"Yeah, I know. Speaking of Barbara, when are you going to tell her?"

"I might as well tell her now. She probably already knows," Helena said.


End file.
